Extra Goals

On Oct. 6, our team squared off against the nationally ranked Maryland Terrapins in College Park Maryland.

I was greeted warmly by Dave, a Maryland fan in the stands, and his crew as the game began. “HELLO PETER,” Dave shouted, “MY NAME IS DAVE, AND THIS IS MYYY CREW.”

His crew (more than 100 students) responded with a loud cry. Dave then proceeded to inform me with his words evenly spaced apart as before,  “WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THE NEXT 90 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELLLL!”

His crew then attempted just that for the rest of the game. We fought hard and ended up losing 1-0 to a very good team.  But you could have learned the details from the box score.

What you may not have read in the box score was what made Maryland such a unique experience from any other away games we have played. 

I don’t know how many different fields I have been around in my life as a soccer player, but having played the sport for just about my entire life, or since I could run — I would estimate it to be quite a few. At least enough that I would consider myself an expert in the field of soccer fields.

I feel confident saying that when we showed up to the University of Maryland’s field before the game, it was different that they had four permanent goals.

For those who are not experts in the field of soccer fields such as myself, a normal soccer pitch typically only has two goals on opposite ends of the field from each other placed in the middle of the end line.  The Terrapins not only had these goals, but had a pair of full frame goals placed kiddy corner from one another.

Fortunately for me, I was not expected to keep two separate nets at the same time; these were the goals that their team had scored on to win the NCAA Division I National Championships in 2005 and 2008. 

Similar to a shoe expert or a physicist, I have to keep adjusting my thoughts and theories on soccer fields as I learn more from research. This experience is one that falls into the theory-changing category. 
 

The first thing I shifted in my theory was that soccer is different from basketball. In basketball (once a team has composed themselves from the insanity that must come with winning a national championship) the whole team participates in the ceremony of cutting down the net one string at a time.  Once the net is cut off and posed with in multiple pictures, it is then generally draped over the trophy in a case somewhere for the rest of eternity to see.
 

In soccer, this is not good enough.
 

Apparently, (once a team has composed themselves from the insanity that must come with winning a national championship) everyone is to grab a shovel and start uprooting the goal--If there are not enough shovels, some of the freshmen are allowed to dig by hand.
 

Once the goal is free from its former field, it is then carried all the way to the field of the victor by some of the stronger players. Two new holes are dug and the goal is then replanted in a corner. I do not know why it is done in this fashion as it seems much too complicated, but the thing I do know is the second part of my theory: Loyola’s soccer field is not perfect with just two goals.  I would love to see it with a couple extra sometime soon.